How I Did On My Summer Vacation

Michael, July 1, 2015: 288 pounds

It's a mixed bag. I spent the last twelve days with no scale, no kitchen, and mainly driving places and meeting people. I tried to take some precautions, and I did some things right. But I also did some things wrong. And I gained three pounds during the experience. Here are the high, and low-lights:


What went right

• On the way to Utah, I drank only water and ate only healthy things from the cooler that Karen packed: grapes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and granola.
• I never ate between meals.
• I usually ate with people who knew I was trying to be good, and they helped me by serving healthy choices or by looking at me funny if I made bad choices. Both were invaluable.
• I ate a lot more vegetables and a lot less sugar than I have on any vacation in my adult life.

What Went Wrong

• On my first day in Utah, the seal broke on my temporary bridge (front teeth), so I had to drink a lot of my means, and this was usually fruit smoothie type things that I could buy in convenience stores that were too high in sugar and calories. I also drank a lot of milk, some of it chocolate.
• I broke both of my major rules at least once. I became tired while driving through Nebraska and drank a Diet Dr. Pepper to stay awake. I also ate at a Pizza Hut that was technically a buffet, though I only had one serving, half of which was salad. In neither case did the transgression set a precedent.
• When it was really hot, I chose to drink sports drinks instead of water--a really dumb choice, since they are too sweet and too caloric. 

So, it's a mixed bag, with a small weight gain. But, on the other hand, my relationship to food remains more or less renegotiated. And now I am back and ready to face the great eating challenge of boredom.